ALRESFORD SHOW by Robert Hedges "A Delightful Little Country Show," Remarked a Cattle Judge on One Occasion, "And
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ALRESFORD SHOW By Robert Hedges "A delightful little country show," remarked a cattle judge on one occasion, "and run by such pleasant people!" The sense of enjoyment and success implicit in this spontaneous reaction was engendered in 1908 and has been fostered by several generations of presidents, officers and committee members ever since. As the farming year moves almost imperceptibly through changing scenes of work and weather to its culmination in the rewards of maturity and harvest, so the Alresford Shaw has developed through periods of fluctuating fortunes to its high level of excellence under enlightened management - at the same time cautious and imaginative, conservative and progressive - that has nursed it gently along from year to year, absorbing the pressures of scientific advancement, government policy and popular demand and somehow contriving to present annually a charming, traditional picture of Hampshire country life at its civilised best. Shows can vary in size from the man who humiliates his fellow gardeners by displaying an enormous potato in the local bar to the bewildering magnitude of a great national event. The Alresford Show has grown over the years and has now probably reached its optimum. But how did it start? Well, it was during the week when the suffragette Mrs. Parkhurst appeared at Bow Street on a charge of incitement to "rush" the Commons; when John Lee was brought before the Alresford Bench, charged with begging on Pound Hill; and when the Labour-Liberal candidate for the East Hants Division faced a hostile audience at Old Alresford School. Mr. T. C. Hankin, the landlord of the Swan Hotel (but soon to start the family motorcar business), was serving whisky at 2d a tot and beer at 2d a pint to a special group of gentlemen seated before a log fire. Fascinating as this may seem, it was not the sole reason for their presence. They had gathered there on the evening of Monday, October 19th, 1908 to approve with great enthusiasm the resolution "that an Association be formed, to be called The Alresford and District Agricultural Society". So eager were they for action that they elected a sub-committee there and then to draw up proposals for a cattle show in December. But this was attempting far too much far too soon, and it came to nothing. The first A.G.M. was held in January, 1909, when the president, officers and committee were re-elected en bloc as follows: President Lord Ashburton, The Grange, Northington Chairman Hon. A. H. Baring, Moth. Farm, Brown Candover Hon. Secretary Mr. F. Stubbs, Estate Agent and Auctioneer, East Street, Alresford Hon. Treasurer Mr. E.E. Snow, Union of London and Smiths Bank, East Street, Alresford Hon.Vet. Surgeon Mr. H. W. Billinghurst, Broad Street, Alresford Committee Mr. A. Arnold, West End, Bramdean Mr. W. Atkinson, Western Court & Scrubbs Farm, Bishops Sutton Mr. H.C. Baker, Tottenham House, Broad Street, Alresford Mr. B. Bond, Harcambe House, Ropley Mr. J. S. Gray, Abbotstone Farm, Itchen Stoke Mr. J.B.W. Horlock, Belton House, Four Marks Mr. T. E. Hunt, Fobdown, Alresford Mr. E. H. Lunn, Itchen Down Farm, Itchen Abbas Mr. D. Michie, Tichborne Park Estate Office Mr. F.N.W. Padwick, Manor Farm, Bishops Sutton Mr. P. Potter, Messrs. Collis & Potter, Corn & Seed Merchants, East Street, Alresford Mr. J. Silvester Lower Wield (The first lady member of a committee was Miss Joan Little, Hill Farm, Armsworth, elected in 1927). These founder members were described at the time as being "an influential body of agriculturalists". (A little later they had become "a body of good, sound agriculturalists", not because of a mild attack of diminuendo but because the writer had resorted unsuccessfully to what Fowler's Modern English Usage calls Elegant Variation.) Today's early scene on show day resembles a well-disciplined gold rush as all manner of vehicles converge noisily on Tichborne Park, where officials hurry to and fro as if intimidated by an unexpected invasion. But this is an illusion; they are limbering up after an early breakfast and bracing themselves in readiness for the events of the day. The claims have already been staked and the organisers have long known precisely how every patch of ground will be utilised. The preliminaries in Edwardian times were less spectacular and in a setting more modest. But distance is said to lend enchantment, so sane detail may be justified. The first show was held on Thursday, December 9th, 1909 on a sloping, uncomfortable field now occupied by the higher part of the caravan site in the Dean. (Saturday became show day many years later with the introduction of the 5-day working week.) Same animals were led or driven from close by; others were transported, from within an 8-mile radius and over stony roads, in horse-drawn floats, low wagons and cow-carts. There were 410 entries comprising the following: Fat Stock 60 Store Stock 77 Horses 65 Sheep and Pigs 37 Eggs 26 Butter 22 Dead Poultry 39 Pulled Roots 61 Corn 23 Details of same classes may be of interest: Fat Stock ` Steers or heifers under 3 years; calves; Legs, lambs; bacon pigs, porkers. Store Stock ` Cows in calf or milk; heifers; bulls; ewes, lambs. Pulled Roots Swedes; turnips (yellow, white.); cow cabbages; mangels [sic]globe, tankard, intermediate). Corn Wheat (white, red); barley; oats (white, black tartar). Lady Tichborne exhibited a 20-inch Shetland pony with a foal about the size of an average dog. The morning was cheerless with fog and frost, hunting was abandoned and a messy thaw followed midday sun. Some animals were under canvas kindly lent by Lord Ashburton or hired out by Mr. Charles Salter, messman, of Winchester, who also catered for the evening dinner in the Town Hall. The after-dinner toasts and speeches in 1909 set the pattern for later occasions. After the loyal toast Lord Ashburton proposed the toast of "the Bishops, Clergy and Ministers of all denominations". (This last point was important, since many members and exhibitors were pillars of parochial nonconformity). In reply the Rev. A. A. Headley, Rector of Alresford, acknowledged (though not in so many words) that there was more than one route to salvation and that all Christians had a cannon enemy. The principal speakers then covered a range of subjects that assumed global proportions - Britain's interests abroad, German aspirations, the armed forces and the Empire. The speeches were interspersed with musical items by local performers, including romantic and panic songs such as 'Come into the Garden, Maud' and 'Wait till I've Finished my Orange'. Of all those indispensable people, the vice-presidents, none perhaps has been more flamboyant than wealthy Mr. Arthur Yates of Bishops Sutton. After a brilliant career as an amateur jockey, he set up a training establishment there and sent the famous Cloister to Aintree in 1893, where it won the Grand National by 40 lengths, "jumping the others silly". In 1910 his special exhibits - two ponies out of an Arab mare by a zebra - were greatly admired at the show in the Dean. When the show moved to Arlebury Park in 1920 certain improvements were made. Messrs. C. and F. Freeman of Cheriton had supplied sheds with canvas roofs before 1914, but the committee decided to bring back the date of the show, first to late October and then, in 1924, to late August/early September in an attempt to reduce the outlay on shelter. Mr. S. Judd of the Running Horse provided refreshments in the park and Dumpers, Ltd. of Winchester catered for the evening dinner. But times were hard, and many members became increasingly unwilling to pay 5/- or 6/- for a dinner and then face a long journey of up to 10 miles home. (Perhaps Mr. Judd's daytime catering had been taking its toll.) The evening dinner was abandoned after 1921. The committee became more business-like and imposed the following charges in 1921: Admission 1/- Motorcars 2/6 (Crossley, Ford, Austin, Calthorpe, etc) Motor-Cycles 1/- (Rudge Multi, Indian, B.S.A., Douglas, Levis, etc.) Horse-drawn Vehicles 1/- Bicycles 3d Arrangements were made with the London and South-Western Railway for the sale of cheap day returns to Alresford from stations between Guildford and Southampton. After 1923 there was an important saving when a rope and stakes were used for the ring instead of hurdles, but in general there was little profit to be made in those days. A very modest investment and a small working balance was all that could be achieved between the wars. Military bands appeared as an added attraction in the late '20s and early '30s until "broadcast" music was incorporated with the "loud speaker" system of announcing shortly before the last war. As communications and transport improved it became possible to extend the radius for entries to the show. But there were no traffic problems on show day. (In 1926 10 m.p.h. was considered a suitable speed limit for Alresford between Langtons and Perin's School.) Having been extended to 10 miles radius in 1920 it was further extended to 12 miles to include inter alia Petersfield, Froyle and Hursley Park in 1929 (in which year, incidentally, sightings of the grey squirrel were reported from various parts of Hampshire). So much is generally known about the show in recent decades that further reference to earlier times may be of greater interest. A glance at the modern schedule will reveal a very wide range of classes. These are the culmination of steady growth, with occasional spurts, since Mt. Walter Giles of Wield won the new hurdle-making competition in 1913.